Lockdown - Car Sales

[A & S 20]

Is anyone selling cars still? if so how? We shut shop from last Tuesday, handed everything over to customers where deposits were taken. Our website is active and getting enquiries and customers want to come down by appointment. We are turning them away asking them to come back after the lockdown has been lifted. Just wanted to know what other dealers were doing. ATM we are closed as government says car showrooms to close. 

[Boydy1985 0]

Hi A+S, Most dealers in our area are answering phones etc still but telling customers they are closed.

We got an Email from Logistics that said that online buying and delivery was allowed, Customer must buy car then get it delivered to them offsite etc and sent us a letter template for distance selling etc.

Whats everyone else doing?

[Casper 272]

9 minutes ago, A & S said:

Is anyone selling cars still? if so how? We shut shop from last Tuesday, handed everything over to customers where deposits were taken. Our website is active and getting enquiries and customers want to come down by appointment. We are turning them away asking them to come back after the lockdown has been lifted. Just wanted to know what other dealers were doing. ATM we are closed as government says car showrooms to close. 

Im sitting in the house as the auctions are all closed my friends/ business associates at the garages/ dealers i buy for closed and not been doing anything with my own stuff since the Friday before lockdown.

 a bit worried cause they say I'm in the higher risk group . Due to medical conditions

Edited March 31, 2020 by Casper

[AAM90 22]

Alot of dealers are taking deposits and telling customers handover will happen when restrictions are lifted..whenever that is

Loads of email messers atm in my experience 

[metcars 397]

33 minutes ago, AAM90 said:

Alot of dealers are taking deposits and telling customers handover will happen when restrictions are lifted..whenever that is

Loads of email messers atm in my experience 

I suspect that a lot of this buyers could be being hugely optimistic? If the lockdown continues for as long as the experts suggest there could be some refunds?

[Rory RSC 596]

I've got a real hustler mentality and love a deal. Turning people away is painful but come on going in to open up for a virus that could potentially kill you or an innocent person you then come into contact with. 

 

If you can facilitate a delivery with absolutely zero contact within government guidelines that poses no risk to you or customer its slightly different.

 

 

[metcars 397]

9 hours ago, Casper said:

Im sitting in the house as the auctions are all closed my friends/ business associates at the garages/ dealers i buy for closed and not been doing anything with my own stuff since the Friday before lockdown.

 a bit worried cause they say I'm in the higher risk group . Due to medical conditions

I’m in the same boat. No jolly day trips to auctions and locked down tighter than a nuns wotsit due to being high risk?

[Casper 272]

19 minutes ago, metcars said:

I’m in the same boat. No jolly day trips to auctions and locked down tighter than a nuns wotsit due to being high risk?

Stay safe mate .take care worrying times for sure . 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Casper

[Mark101 536]

43 minutes ago, Rory RSC said:

I've got a real hustler mentality and love a deal. Turning people away is painful but come on going in to open up for a virus that could potentially kill you or an innocent person you then come into contact with. 

 

If you can facilitate a delivery with absolutely zero contact within government guidelines that poses no risk to you or customer its slightly different.

 

 

So many people (friends) keep saying can't you just do a zero contact sale. It doesn't exist in its purest form. Think about it. This is my example.

Drive to work (hopefully don't need to stop for fuel, puncture, accident).

Open the unit (the one which the 24 hour security guard checks the door handle every two hours)

Take the "sold" car out - recently handled by valeter, mechanic, MOT tester etc.

Lock the unit up again (touch door handle again).

Drive car somewhere (fuel, puncture, breakdown, accident) or arrange haulier whom insists this is just the flu and wants a chat and hug.

Get back using what? Public transport? A Lift? or Driver delivers it and customer is not happy!

Then it breaks down and they want it fixed NOW because of XYZ or they reject under CRA.

Yes, I might sell one or two BUT, that will not sustain my business and I am NOT risking my health for anything, let alone something that will buy me perhaps and extra week or two of business.

I am taking my solvency chances and hope for the best. I can however influence my health by reducing any potential exposure.

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Mark101

[Rory RSC 596]

We already do lots of delivery so perhaps slightly more geared up. 
 

for me,  everything’s valeted anyway so in theory If I come to work  wearing disposable gloves jump in the car and turn it on, drive it on the truck and then drop it off on customers drive and give it a wipe down plus wipe key before posting key whats the harm?

 

ive just had dpd deliver a new phone to me. 
 

amazon packages.

 

It’s close down a few aisles in the shops with people well within 2 meters so I do see it as low risk and I’m in no ivory tower if someone has the choice of selling to survive I wouldn’t think any less of them or judge them it’s not my place. 
 

I feel there are many ways to do it with very low risk and very limited exposure.

 

not a fucking chance I’d be driving a car, hopping on a train and taxi right now. 

[justina3 518]

I think people out flouting the government advise are my nature of their behaviour the customer I normally swerve.

that said there is always an expectation to the rule, I took an on line deposit yesterday from a mother who wanted me to hold an Aygo until the crisis is over for her sons 18th spoke to her several times and surprisingly she is very normal unlike the rest of the fruit bats that keep emailing with stupid offers.

Agree with most people health over wealth for me.

[metcars 397]

It appears that if you want to sell a car just stick it on the back of a transporter and post an add on FB marketplace?

[have a word with the wife 299]

is it moral ?

is it safe ?

what happens if they change there mind at delivery?

what if its not "as described" at delivery?

what if the car breaks down and you cannot get the part ?

what if they say they were fine before delivery and have now got flu ?

if the car develops a problem, and they return it, who opens up ?

stay home stay safe 

 

 

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, metcars said:

It appears that if you want to sell a car just stick it on the back of a transporter and post an add on FB marketplace?

Haha, the ‘couple of cars on the driveway’ boys don’t appear to give a fuck about non essential activity.

Funnily enough neither do a few dickheads (they sound older folk but I could be mistaken) wanting cars taking to them for a look. Obviously non essential travel doesn’t apply when it’s the car going to them rather than them going to the car?  FFS.

Mind you, I could do a roaring trade if I was prepared to bend over, part my buttocks to expose my sphincter & discount by four figure sums for the Virus Brigade, funnily enough not a single one of them has followed up their not-so-generous email offers with a phone call. 

[David Horgan 564]

I personally don't get the difference between Delivery and handover if the customer arrives to collect a car .

**Delivery **, you arrive with a truck/trailer  and hand over at a distance , Q how does the paper work here differ from collection .how does the actual car differ from collection . 

Collection : Customer arrives not at the showroom but maybe the car park . Cant test drive car , cant touch paper work , uses bank transfer to pay , picks keys off the windscreen and drive off  so its essentially the same as being at their House isn't it . whats 50 miles either way going to make a difference ?

Is any of these systems actually essential journeys NO not in my mind anyway 

Even if its an essential worker its the same isn't it , HOW on gods earth can a nurse just get in a car they have bought from a stranger without knowing its biologically clean and drive it to hospital to work with patients? 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have an email just now , Hi interested in your Sportage and i have a px too . 

I have explained that its impossible to evaluate a px at a distance or hand over a car safely  at a distance .

She said but i need a car as this car i'm trying to get rid of has faults and its not reliable  turns out DPF antipollution lights on and in limp mode 308cc 2.0diesel auto 59 plate car 47k on clock , she only wants £3,500 it "values at 2k clean " in good times and working , just about the most undesirable heap of shite on earth in my head 

Told her we don't take faulty cars as PX as we cant get parts to fix it . 

Lets see where she takes that 

 

 

[Casper 272]

10 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

I personally don't get the difference between Delivery and handover if the customer arrives to collect a car .

**Delivery **, you arrive with a truck/trailer  and hand over at a distance , Q how does the paper work here differ from collection .how does the actual car differ from collection . 

Collection : Customer arrives not at the showroom but maybe the car park . Cant test drive car , cant touch paper work , uses bank transfer to pay , picks keys off the windscreen and drive off  so its essentially the same as being at their House isn't it . whats 50 miles either way going to make a difference ?

Is any of these systems actually essential journeys NO not in my mind anyway 

Even if its an essential worker its the same isn't it , HOW on gods earth can a nurse just get in a car they have bought from a stranger without knowing its biologically clean and drive it to hospital to work with patients? 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have an email just now , Hi interested in your Sportage and i have a px too . 

I have explained that its impossible to evaluate a px at a distance or hand over a car safely  at a distance .

She said but i need a car as this car i'm trying to get rid of has faults and its not reliable  turns out DPF antipollution lights on and in limp mode 308cc 2.0diesel auto 59 plate car 47k on clock , she only wants £3,500 it "values at 2k clean " in good times and working , just about the most undesirable heap of shite on earth in my head 

Told her we don't take faulty cars as PX as we cant get parts to fix it . 

Lets see where she takes that 

 

 

Tell her it worth £500 pound if she  emails back bet you don't hear from her again .

[BHM 994]

12 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

I have explained that its impossible to evaluate a px at a distance or hand over a car safely  at a distance .

This seems beyond the minds of punters desperate to palm off their knackered p/xs. Funnily enough these same punters always have moonshot valuations too.

I’ll tell you what, unless these punters manage to stick their shit p/xs into traders who are desperate to put dinner on the table there are going to be some properly fucked trade-ins when we get back to normal.

[David Horgan 564]

Just now, Casper said:

Tell her it worth £500 pound if she  emails back bet you don't hear from her again .

That's the same number I had in mind casper but then again it just home a problem , How on earth can we take a PX off someone safley "we can't can we " 

Even if they dumped onsite , put the keys in a Dettol cloth and left it , be weeks before we could touch it . 

 

2 minutes ago, BHM said:

I’ll tell you what, unless these punters manage to stick their shit p/xs into traders who are desperate to put dinner on the table there are going to be some properly fucked trade-ins when we get back to normal.

I agree with you there pal , imagine the shite after this lot , no MOT for 6 month is going to bring some proper smiles to the deals .

But we didn't need to MOT it did we LOL no you didnt but it's completely bollocoxed now ist it my dear customer who wants to palm it off on someone else 

[Casper 272]

4 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

That's the same number I had in mind casper but then again it just home a problem , How on earth can we take a PX off someone safley "we can't can we " 

Even if they dumped onsite , put the keys in a Dettol cloth and left it , be weeks before we could touch it . 

 

Your right but she sounds like one of those customers who thinks there px is worth telephone number 

if it comes to just be polite and say something along the lines of we are closed due to covid 19 however I'n normal business operating times your part exchange has  a value to the company of around £500 

[David Ayers 171]

So when lockdown is over who fancies taking a px on a test drive?
 

[trade vet 702]

Robert Forrester Vertu Motors / Bristol Street CEO yesterday confirmed they sold 2 last week .They have 120 outlets/dealerships.

[David Horgan 564]

1 minute ago, Casper said:

if it comes to just be polite and say something along the lines of we are closed due to covid 19 however I'n normal business operating times your part exchange has  a value to the company of around £500 

Casper in my head a 308CC auto diesel isn't worth the effort of a normal valuation reply , but we buy any car have stopped giving valuations now and so has our local Evans H place so getting rid of the undesirable heaps of poop has now got to rely on the value they are actually worth . 

308 HDI SE FAP  convertible auto , black   , two Service stamps , last serviced 37400 miles , MOT has low pads all round , rear tyres nearing legal limit , 47k on clock , declared DPF fault with anti pollution light on and in limp mode ,  Bearing in mind we couldn't touch the car even if I could do the deal safely then couldn't get parts to fix it till probably August at best , £20 wotrth of Disinfectant and steam to just get inside the bloody thing i'm really thinking £50  and scrap the Fing heap 

6 minutes ago, David Ayers said:

So when lockdown is over who fancies taking a px on a test drive?
 

That's going to be a difficult time isn't it .

Excuse me dear customer while we steam clean your car and disinfect it for appraisal  , by the way that's £100 +vat for the privilege of cleaning your car  

[New year revolutions...... 197]

6 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Robert Forrester Vertu Motors / Bristol Street CEO yesterday confirmed they sold 2 last week .They have 120 outlets/dealerships.

Yes and as a responsible business they are only taking orders if customers insist ,they are not pushing sales ,they are keeping workshops open for the services liens people who need cars for say hospital appointments and not because theres a squeak from the rear even if by doing this it will incur a loss to the business

I'm shut,I'm complying  with the terms of the law and as a consequence to cover the 80% wages so im not committing perjury on my tax return

This is why my transporters are now sorn

I cannot work

I dont want to work

I want everything to get back to normal soonest

This will be achieved quicker by self isolation 

[Casper 272]

46 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

Casper in my head a 308CC auto diesel isn't worth the effort of a normal valuation reply , but we buy any car have stopped giving valuations now and so has our local Evans H place so getting rid of the undesirable heaps of poop has now got to rely on the value they are actually worth . 

308 HDI SE FAP  convertible auto , black   , two Service stamps , last serviced 37400 miles , MOT has low pads all round , rear tyres nearing legal limit , 47k on clock , declared DPF fault with anti pollution light on and in limp mode ,  Bearing in mind we couldn't touch the car even if I could do the deal safely then couldn't get parts to fix it till probably August at best , £20 wotrth of Disinfectant and steam to just get inside the bloody thing i'm really thinking £50  and scrap the Fing heap 

That's going to be a difficult time isn't it .

Excuse me dear customer while we steam clean your car and disinfect it for appraisal  , by the way that's £100 +vat for the privilege of cleaning your car  

True I was just thinking if she's sees a low value you would be bad car dealer that was all .amd never hear again 

Wants £3500 that did cheer me up

38 minutes ago, New year revolutions...... said:

Yes and as a responsible business they are only taking orders if customers insist ,they are not pushing sales ,they are keeping workshops open for the services liens people who need cars for say hospital appointments and not because theres a squeak from the rear even if by doing this it will incur a loss to the business

I'm shut,I'm complying  with the terms of the law and as a consequence to cover the 80% wages so im not committing perjury on my tax return

This is why my transporters are now sorn

I cannot work

I dont want to work

I want everything to get back to normal soonest

This will be achieved quicker by self isolation 

Im the same been parked up since the Friday before lockdown. 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Casper

[Mark101 536]

So, I win the length of time on lock-down then?

This is week 3 for me.